Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Whats with all the Rain in Texas

Every morning I look on the weather site to see if we are going to get any MUCH needed rain. Every day all I see is Big and Nasty rain storms dancing around Texas. Now I am very happy for the folks down in Texas due to the past few years of Droughts. But it seems this year Texas has almost gone from Drought central to a Tropical Rain Forest Climate.

I am all for that and say way to go. However it is just very curious as to whats happening to the weather patterns in recent years. Up here in Western NY we have been seeing summer much sooner (April and May we had 90 degree days ) It seems our seasons have shifted by a few months and that the rain/snow patterns have shifted away from our region.

With our area having seasonal shifts and Texas looking like a rain forest, I say strange stuff going on. Strange Stuff!!!

Haven't you heard of "Global Warming"?

Personaly I don't really think that is the problem, if you look through history the Earth has had many climate changes in its life time.
Here in Missouri we have been having some strange weather. It would be nice if the guys with the weather machine would spread it a little more even.

Yeah I understand that the earth is going through some changes in its natural cycle, I just thought that it was interesting that last year record drought for Texas and great rains here in the NE and this year they are a tropical rain forest and we are a dust bowl.

Here in Louisiana, we actually had a spring this year. We usually jump from winter straight into summer with little spring weather to speak of. This year, April and May were nice and cool. We've had plenty of rain too, but nothing like TX. My pond is 2" over full, the highest it's ever been. I wouldn't change anything about the weather pattern this year. The only bad news is that it has caused a lot of extra grass mowing.

Indiana had the driest spring in the past fifteen years this year.

Up in Upsate NY we have had the driest Spring in recorded History. We also have had some of the earliest and most prolonged warm weather in History. We are already over 15 days at or above 90 degrees. We normally only have 4 days all summer that high. Yesterday was 95 and it is only the 4th warmest day so far this season. We have already been up to 98 degrees during spring.

I have been keeping a log for the last 2 years after experiencing a severe drought in '05. When we received 6+ inches in December of '06, the 2006 total was 34.4". As of last night, this year we have received 37.85", with 14" falling in the last 2 months. More on the way today........

We are at 50% of normal rain (- 16 inches) with below avg temps. Eric your temps are higher than ours and so are a lot of the mid-west. Our normal rain is hung up in Tex. (upper level low stuck over Okla. blocked from moving east by a Bermuda high stuck over Fla. pan-handle).

We have been geting a strange pattern where the cooler air from Canada sits just above us and does not let the moisture down from that area. We also see the High front from down south just stays below us and thus both keep each otehr at bay and we see no moisture. All we seem to get is the heat!!

I worry for you all in Texas you have truly had some of the wrath of God type of weather! But I could stand some of your surplus rain as we have been 45 days with out so much as a drop and the pond has dropped 7 feet and it is only June! We are going to install a well but will not have it until September! I hope all is well with you and yours.

Texas floods and we are in a D-4 drought. Funny how weather patterns shift. Nearby Huntsville, Al is over 51 inches short on rainfall since Jan 05! That's over a years worth of rain!

Ive got it figured out.I put a huge funnel on my shop and Im draining it into my fax machine.As soon as it quits sparking Ill start faxing it to you guys who need water.We got three in last night.
Tom G

I wound up with a little over 4 inches in the last 24 hours in D/FW. More is coming and, to us, it is absolutely useless because the ground can't take anymore. My ponds have overflowed for the first time in 8 years.

The Fort Worth Star Telegram reports that this is the 3rd wettest June on record. We have had, officially, 9.07 inches at D/FW Airport. Lots of places have had more. Several of the years during the 8 year drought, we didn't get over 10 inches in a year. The year before last, I lost 90% of the fish in a one acre pond and had to restock.

Sure wish I could send some of this stuff elsewhere to you guys. We have a very deep appreciation of your drought problems.

Within an hour west of me in Llano and Marble Falls, they are reporting 18" of rain last night. We got a pretty perfect 1.5". We have been very fortunate here; just getting small .5"-1" rains one after another. Austin's main lake, Lake Travis, was reported to have rose 5' in 5 hours last night...that's alot of water!!!

Ir'a Texas man! Haven't you heard Texas does things in a big way?! If it has a drought it's a duzy. But when it gets rain it's a duzy too.

Seriously the country is stuck in a weather pattern that is stalling fronts and precip. When that happens whoever is on the stalling end gets too much and farther east gets none!

I have had water go over my spillway at least two feet deep twice this month. I haven't had any erosion to the dam yet but I am a bit nervous having that much water go over it. Has anyone had a breach in their dam yet? Mike Otto has told me several stories of it occuring, which makes me nervous. Be careful what you pray for because God may be more generous than you anticipate.

Cecil,in texas the amount of rain you get depends on which side of the yard you place your rain gauge
Tom G

I had a breach in March. It covered entire dam and over 4' on lower side. I panicked and thanks to friends like ewest and Todd I was eased (a little). Covered pier 5-6'. Carried a 3/4" plywood (treated 8x16') tent floor a quarter mi. 5" limestone rock held, lost some roadbase. All in all was NOT nearly as bad as first thought. This was 8" in 6 hrs.
Good luck central Tx. Pond Meisters.
ps Bullheads a problem now! 400 Plus caught/trapped since March!

I am in Oklahoma and we have also been blessed with the rain that Texas is getting! If it has to be one extreme or the other, I'll take the rain!!!

I started another thread about having problems getting our pond built, and this spring and summer a lot of people have said to us, "Too bad you're pond wasn't already done." Personally, I'd rather it fill nice and slow. We will depend on runoff - which we get a lot of - but that also mean silt and (sometimes) trash. I'd have worried about a new dam with this deluge!

I guess I'm going to have to leave the forum, I'm no longer a pond boss so I guess I don't really belong here. I think a constant flowing body of water is defined as a river not a pond. I'm a RIVERBOSS now. I'll have to join their message board. It's been fun guys see you down stream.

Eric,

You get any of those storms that are now in the northeast? We got a good ol' fashioned summmer thunderstorm here today in northern Indiana. It was much needed! Evem got a 5 lb. 8 oz. bass today that an excited 8 year old brought in to mount with his dad. The kid was so excited about catching it he was a regular chatterbox! He's hooked for life and I think I have a regular customer

Weather report:

Drought, with intermittent Floods.

It is dryer than the proverbial popcorn fart up here. We have had only .41 inches of rain in the last six weeks.

Lets hope that changes for you soon.

We get alot of Texas and Oklahoma's left over rain. Got over 8" in 2 hours in May. Seems like it rains at least 2-3 times per week. After last years drought, I won't complain. Wheat harvesters aren't liking it and once they get it cut, they aren't liking results.